Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

The Camillus Cutlery Company was one of the oldest knife manufacturers in the United States with roots dating back to 1876. The company manufactured Camillus branded knives and was a prolific contractor for other knife brands up until its last days in 2007 when the company filed for bankruptcy.
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orvet
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by orvet »

Thanks for the pictures Trav!

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travman
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by travman »

Dale here are a couple more stamps that ive got
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SWORD BRAND 3-3/8 JACK
SWORD BRAND 3-3/8 JACK
SWORD BRAND 3-3/8 JACK
SWORD BRAND 3-3/8 JACK
SWORD BRAND 3-3/8 JACK
SWORD BRAND 3-3/8 JACK
3-5/8 ARCH STAMP EBONY JACK
3-5/8 ARCH STAMP EBONY JACK
3-5/8 ARCH STAMP EBONY JACK
3-5/8 ARCH STAMP EBONY JACK
3-5/8 ARCH STAMP EBONY JACK
3-5/8 ARCH STAMP EBONY JACK
3-5/8 ARCH STAMP EBONY JACK
3-5/8 ARCH STAMP EBONY JACK
3-5/8 ARCH STAMP EBONY JACK
3-5/8 ARCH STAMP EBONY JACK
3-5/8 ARCH STAMP EBONY JACK
3-5/8 ARCH STAMP EBONY JACK
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by orvet »

Thanks Trav.
I have a few projects ahead of the Camillus tang stamps.
I am collecting examples at his point.

Thank's for your help,
Dale
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by travman »

Dale you are welcome
Ive got more if you want them, i dont want to over burden you with unneeded stamps
I picked this knife up on ebay kind of took a flyer on it,I havent seen one in person or print
would like your thoughts on it. Shes no beauty queen got some minor
issues The pin holding swing guards look like a nail and the backside scale is chipped,
but it locks and is tight with snap. Also a 4 line tang stamp
Any info would be great
Thanks Trav
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by orvet »

Awesome Trav! ::tu:: ::tu::

I have not seen a Camillus Swing-guard before.
I suspect it was from the 1930s, maybe even older.
Perhaps one of our members will know more about this knife than I do.

How about it guys?
Do any of you know anything about this knife?
This is the first time I have seen anything like it with the Camillus name on it.

Dale
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by carrmillus »

i have to wait for one of my kids to show up to post photos, but i have a camillus tuxedo knife-ebony wood scales, bar shield,3 1/2" closed, 2 blade. both blade tangs are marked with the arched 3 line stamp. according to goin's, this is the oldest marking-am i correct????
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by trail »

This in my eye is an exceptional knife. I found it at an antique mall and paid $7.50 for it, which just goes to show you can't judge an old knife by its price. As best I can tell from looking through the old Camillus catalogs, it is an 83 pattern. The 1965 catalog lists the 83 as "Deluxe Baby Premium Stock Knife. Handle - Brownstag. Length - 2 5/8"." The 1982 catalog shows it as "Deluxe Pony Stock. 2 5/8" (closed). Brown Delrin stag handle. Clip, coping and pen blades. Etched "Camillus Deluxe". Nickel Silver Bolsters." If mine was etched, it has faded away, but otherwise the description matches. What isn't mentioned is the jimping of the liners, which is clearly visible on the side liners from the top of the knife. A close look reveals jimping on the center liner from the back. I guess these are delrin handles, but it's the nicest delrin I have ever seen. The color variation from front to back suggests bone - or maybe the knife sat in a display for a long time and the front handle faded. All the blades have snap left, and no side wobble. I found a little red rust in the joints, so that has to be cleaned up. Overall, this knife just confirms to me that, during their prime, Camillus made some of the best knives around.
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cam_83_1.jpg
cam_83_2.jpg
cam_83_3.jpg
cam_83_4.jpg
cam_83_5.jpg
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by orvet »

carrmillus wrote:i have to wait for one of my kids to show up to post photos, but i have a camillus tuxedo knife-ebony wood scales, bar shield,3 1/2" closed, 2 blade. both blade tangs are marked with the arched 3 line stamp. according to goin's, this is the oldest marking-am i correct????
It probably is.
I will have to see the tang stamp first before I say yea or nay.

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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by travman »

Trail
thats a nice knife ::tu::
I believe its the #83 deluxe baby pony stock Im pretty sure the deluxe models came with the milled liners up untill the late 60s early 70s im not positive on when they stopped the milled liners ::shrug:
The more you handle the Camillus knives the more appreiciate the high quality of their craftsmanship and some of the great knives they had produced
Here is a 4 line # 96 6 blade camp knife its in the 1946 catalog
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by tjmurphy »

Man, ya gotta love the Cammies. Nice knives fellers.
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by thawk »

Image
Camillus 69 - 4" Stockman with long line stamp

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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by Miller Bro's »

orvet wrote:Awesome Trav!

I have not seen a Camillus Swing-guard before.
I suspect it was from the 1930s, maybe even older.
Perhaps one of our members will know more about this knife than I do.

How about it guys?
Do any of you know anything about this knife?
This is the first time I have seen anything like it with the Camillus name on it.

Dale
I have one of these in my parts bin. The blade is worn and the guard is missing.
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by trail »

Thawk, another awesome knife! Looks to be in near mint condition. Everything about that knife is good - the proportions, the build quality, the blade styles, and most of all the color and jigging of the handles. Amazing to think you could walk into a hardware store 40 years ago and buy something like that. Nowadays to get a new knife of that quality you have to go to one of the "collector" brands. It's a real eye-opener for anybody who thinks Camillus means TL-29s, hawksbills and riggers - in other words, while they were the great American work knife company, they also had the capacity to make folders of the highest quality.
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by orvet »

Miller Bro`s wrote:
orvet wrote:Awesome Trav!

I have not seen a Camillus Swing-guard before.
I suspect it was from the 1930s, maybe even older.
Perhaps one of our members will know more about this knife than I do.

How about it guys?
Do any of you know anything about this knife?
This is the first time I have seen anything like it with the Camillus name on it.

Dale
I have one of these in my parts bin. The blade is worn and the guard is missing.

Sounds like you have a great restoration project waiting there Dimitri! ::tu::

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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by travman »

Thawk great lookin knife ::tu:: I really like coloring of the scales
Trail... well said about Camillus being the knife maker for all occasians
MB I am happy to hear you have a similar knife... Do you have any info on the time frame that these were produced?
Thanks
Trav
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by Paul Tummers »

I just got this Camillus military knife in the mail.
There is something on it, I did not see before; At the screw-driver/ cap-lifter there is a little pin attached, at first look I thought, it was done by the previous owner, but when looking at the back-side I get the feeling, this is done at the factory.
Does anybody know more about this?
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camillus.jpg
Camillus 1.jpg
Camillus 2.jpg
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by jmh58 »

I went thru the ones that I have and have 4 with that stud on it.. A 68, 2-72s, and a brass liner one.. My guess is it is used as a thumb stud to open that blade.. ::shrug:: John ::tu::
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by Paul Tummers »

jmh58 wrote:I went thru the ones that I have and have 4 with that stud on it.. A 68, 2-72s, and a brass liner one.. My guess is it is used as a thumb stud to open that blade.. ::shrug:: John ::tu::
I was thinking, it is for taking apart, or perhaps assembling a part of a rifle maybe?
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by jmh58 »

The stud is not on all as I have a few different years.. Also the brass liner one is suposed to be from WWII?? Different rifle era?? ::shrug:: Hope one of experts chime in on this!! ::nod:: Never gave it much thought till now?? ::tu:: Paul.. What year is your blade stamped?? John ::tu::
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by Paul Tummers »

jmh58 wrote:The stud is not on all as I have a few different years.. Also the brass liner one is suposed to be from WWII?? Different rifle era?? ::shrug:: Hope one of experts chime in on this!! ::nod:: Never gave it much thought till now?? ::tu:: Paul.. What year is your blade stamped?? John ::tu::
Mine is stamped 1960, Have a friend who is a former Marines seargent, perhaps he can help, will ask him.
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by Miller Bro's »

jmh58 wrote: My guess is it is used as a thumb stud to open that blade.. ::shrug:: John ::tu::
Yes, that is what it is used for.

If you notice the nail nick is so far back on the blade it is useless. Try and open yours with the nail nick, unless the blade has very little spring tension, it is very hard to open.

The stud on your knife looks a little short, someone may have filed it down ::nod::
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by Paul Tummers »

Miller Bro`s wrote:
jmh58 wrote: My guess is it is used as a thumb stud to open that blade.. ::shrug:: John ::tu::
Yes, that is what it is used for.

If you notice the nail nick is so far back on the blade it is useless. Try and open yours with the nail nick, unless the blade has very little spring tension, it is very hard to open.

The stud on your knife looks a little short, someone may have filed it down ::nod::
I already noticed that the nail nick was at an inconvenient place for opening, thought however, it was made there to allow the stud to be at the place were it is, wrong way of thinking around ::doh:: !
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by Miller Bro's »

Paul,

what is that nice bone handle knife under the Camillus? ::drool::
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by Paul Tummers »

Miller Bro`s wrote:Paul,

what is that nice bone handle knife under the Camillus? ::drool::
It is the handle of an old Camillus 4-line easy opener, my every day carrying knife, razor sharp, I keep it sharp on a leather razor belt.
Just added a picture of it
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Camillus easy opener.jpg
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Re: Show Us Your Camillus Knives!

Post by 268bull »

[img][img][/img][/img]Here are a couple of my best Camillus keepers. The first is a Model 714 Muskrat. The blades were rusted closed and I had to use needle nose pliers to open it. It cleaned up very well. The second is a 4-line tang stamp easy opener. Sweet knife! The blades appear to never have been sharpened. ::tu:: Bull
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